Electric vehicle lamp



Jan. 10, 1928. 1,655,559

C. A. NEARY ELECTRIC VEHICLE LAMP Filed Nov. 26, 1926 '2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. awe, a; #5 BY Y z i 2-. a I

ATTORNEY.

C. A. NEARY ELECTRIC VEHICLE LAMP Jan. 10, 1928.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 26, 1926 amnion;

Patented Jan. 10, 1928.

CHARLES A. NEARY, F OAKLAND, NEBRASKA.

ELnc'rnIc vnnionn LAMP.

. Applicationfiled November 26, 1926. Serial No. 150,835. I

i This invention relates to electric vehicle lamps, and particularly to headlight-s, spot lights and other similar lamps for automo-- biles and other traveling vehicles.

One object-of my invention is to. provide a. headlight, spot light, or other similar light having a reflector, with a movable reflector shield normally forming a complementary part of the reflector, and which is arranged on the left hand side of the vertical center of the lamp and adapted to be swung toward the right hand side of the lamp in such a position as to cut off thelight rays from the left hand side ofthe road and to cast the lightrays toward the right hand side of the road and in front of the vehicle equipped with the invention,- whereby the field of illumination: may be restricted so as to prevent the blinding of the driver of an approaching vehicle onthe left hand side of the road, while admitting of the full ,;capac ity of the light being obtained for illumination of the roadway atthe right hand side of the road and ahead of the vehicle equipped with the invention.

Another object of the invention is to provide a light reflector means of the character 7 claimed, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of the front portion of an automobile provided with head lamps embodyingmy invention. Figure 2- is a front elevation of the same. Figure 3 is a central vertical section through the lamp. r

Figure 4318 a section on line 4-4 of ure 3. 7

Figures 5 and 6' are v ews showing the application of the invention to a spot light lamp. v o 7,

Referring now-more particularly to Figures l to 4, inclusive,*of the drawings, 1 designates a headlight lamp comprising a casing 2 and having a reflector 3 surrounding 7, of a sectorshape conforming to that ofthe opening 6. The inner curved edge 8 of this shutter 7 is centrally hinged or pivoted to the stationary reflector 3, as at 9 in close proximity tothe socket 5 at the center of the latter, while the outer edge 10 of the PAT NT .OFFICE.

shutter 7 is located wellforward of a transverse line intersecting the forward end of the bulb 4 so as to admit of its being swung g for alight deflecting action in advance of the-forward end of the bulb. Theshutter 7 may bemade ofthe same material as the reflector 3ia'nd 'has an inner light reflecting surface 11 conforming to the reflecting surface 12 of the reflector3. The concavo-convex shape of the shutter 7 also conforms with that of the, reflector 3, so that when p the shutteris swung back into the opening 6 it lies in the plane of the reflector 3 and.

serves as a complemental part ofsaid re flector 3, whereby, in the normal use of the lamp, an unbroken reflector of usual shape, 7

and having allof its surfaces flush or lying in a common line of curvature, is provided for projecting a full light beam ahead, as will be readily understood. This follows from the fact that the shutter when in normal position, i. e., occupying the opening 6.

lies at the same distance from the bulb asthe opposite right hand portion ofthe reflector 3, so that all opposed reflecting portions of the reflector 3 and. shutter 7 are equally. centered with relationto the source of light; When on the other hand the shutter is swung inwardly, as shownfin dotted lines in Figure 4, from the full line position therein shown, therays ofv light from the lamp 4 side of the lamp except at points approaching the axisof the beam, so that the casting of blinding rays upon an approaching ve-" and reflector 3 arecut off at' the left hand be cast a sufficient distance in rear of the approaching vehicle in its direction of travel as to prevent annoyance to the driver there of. while this restriction of the lateral illuminating field occurs, it will be noted that there is no dimming action ofthe' light beam,

7 so far as illumination for thebeneiit of the the well known objections to dimmers as heretofore suggested arranged within a lamp above the bulb and designed to be swung downward upon the bulb to deflect the light down upon the road, such dimmers in normal'position reducing the reflecting area of the lamp and when in projected position cutting down the illuminating field for the driver of the vehicle to a dangerous degree. For the purpose of enabling the shutter 7 to be so shaped and mounted as to close within and normally form a part of the surface of the reflector 3, while at the same time adapting it to effectually perform its intended function, I provide the free or swinging edge 10 of the shutter with a light obstructing flange 11. This flange projects inwardlyat right angles to the body of the shutter so as to increase its extent of projec tion'into the path of the light beam, without the necessity of making the shutter objectionally wide, said flange acting, when the shutter is swung inwardly to deflecting position, to cut off those light rays at the left of the center of the light beam which would otherwise be deflected at such a sharp angle as to'be liable to cause an objectionable degree of light to be cast into the path of travel of an approaching vehicle or into the eyes of the driver of such vehicle when the vehicles are at a certain distance apart, within the normal blinding range of the light beam.

The shutter 7 is adapted to be swung to light deflecting position by means of a lever arm 12, attached to the rear side of its hinged edge, and the deflector is adapted to be automatically returned to normal position and held within the opening 6 by means of a coiled spring 13. The lever arm 12 and spring 13 are housed in the space or chamber between the casing 2' and rear side of the reflector 3, and one end of the spring 13 is fastened to the shutter 7 and its other end to the lamp socket 5. In the adaptation of the invention to automobile headlights arranged at opposite sides of the vehicle, an operating shaft 14iis extended transversely of the vehicle through the engine housing in rear of the radiator and journaled in the side Walls of said housing, said shaft being provided at a central point with a crank arm 15 and having its extended ends be yond the housing provide'dwith crank arms 16. To the crank arms 16ers attached rods or cables 17 which pass through openings 18 in the headlight casings 2 andv are attached to the lever arms 12 of the headlights. An actuating rod 19 is connected to the crank arm 14 and extends rearwardly through the engine housing and instrument board in which it is slidably mounted, the rear end of said rod being provided with a suitable handle whereby it may be manipulated. By the use of this actuating mechanism the shutters 7 of both lamps may be swung from their closed posit-ions at the left hand sides of the vertical centers of the headlights within which they are arranged toward the righthand side of the vehicle so as to cast the light rays towards such side of the vehicle and away from the left hand side of the road, the light beams, without being dimmed, being thereby projected and concentrated upon theright hand side of the road and that portion of the road directly in advance of the vehicle on which the headlights are mounted. As a'result the driver of an approaching vehicle running in the opposite direction on the left hand side of the road will be entirely shielded from the H light rays of the headlights equipped with the invention, while the driver of the vehicle providedv with such headlights will be given the benefit of a full illumination of the road ahead of him.

In the adaptation of the invention to spot lights or other similar lights as shown in Figures '5 and 6, the reflector 3- of the spot light is provided with an opening 6 and shutter 7', closed by a spring 13 and opened by a lever arm 12 of the construction previously described. The spring and lever arm in this casemay be exposed, but it is the spot light may be operated,if the spot light is arranged within the vehicle, by a,

pull cord or cable 22, and in the event that the spot light is arranged outside the vehicle the cord or cable may be extended from the point of attachment of the spot light to a convenient point so as to beoperated by the driver occupying his seat in the drivers compartment.

The-

The operating means may, of course, in case of either the headlight construction or the spot lightconstruction, be varied in construction as required according to conditions in the use of such lights upon different types or constructions of vehicles.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim 3 I 1. An automobile lamp having a reflector surrounding a light source centrally arranged therein, said reflector being provided with an opening at one side of the source of light, a pivoted shuttercurved to conform to the shape of the material displaced to form said opening and normally occupying said opening, so as to snugly fit within and close the same and form a complemental portion of the reflector, said shutter being movable toward the opposite side of the reflector to deflect the light rays in such direction, and means for opening and closing said shutter.

2. An automobile lampohaving a reflector surrounding a central source of light, said reflector having an opening therein at one side of said light source, a reflecting shutter pivotally mounted to normally occupy said opening and form a part of the reflecting surface of the reflector and being movable inwardly across the path of the light 3; An automobile lamp having a reflector 1 surrounding a source of light centrally ar ranged therein, said reflector being provided with an opening at one side of the source of light, a pivoted shutter curved to conform to the shape of the material displaced to form said opening and normally occupying snugly engaging the edge of said opening throughout to arrange the shutter in the plane of, and form a oomplemental part of the reflector, said shutter being hinged to the reflector body and movable toward the opposite side of the reflector to deflect the rays in such direction, a lever arm attached to the shutter, operating means connected with said lever arm, and a spring connecting the free end of said arm with a fixed portion of the lamp for normally holding the shutter closed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CHARLES A. NEARY.

.said opening, the edge surface of the shutter 

